The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games kicked off Friday, with Team Korea appearing 22nd out of 92 countries in the Parade of Nations, in an order based on the Italian alphabet.

Figure skater Cha Jun-hwan and speed skater Park Ji-woo, both three-time Olympians, served as flag bearers for the South Korean national team, leading the delegation into the historic Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium.

In an unprecedented setup, the 2026 Games will be spread out in four different regions of Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno in the Alps, and Predazzo in the northern province of Trento.

Friday's opening ceremony was simultaneously held in multiple locations across northern Italy, with South Korean athletes also attending in separate groups.

South Korea’s 71 athletes are set to compete in six sports, and the national team is aiming to win at least three gold medals and rank in the top ten of the medal table.

Approximately two-thousand-900 athletes representing 92 national Olympic committees will compete for 116 gold medals during the event's 17-day run.